Finding Sophie

Slow to start for me but once started I was hooked. The parents frustrations at not being able to get answers quickly about their missing daughter jumped off the page and resonated with me as a parent. Very well written legal thriller. Very tense and emotional.
Will definitely be reading more by this author.

Finding Sophie is a novel that explores a families anguish and desperation when they awake to their only daughter missing
The book was for the most, very character driven. The book is told through the alternative points of view of Harry and Zara, Sophie’s parents. The raw emotion and grief is so well written. I could feel the emptiness and the life being sucked from the parents.
I particularly enjoyed the court scenes and how the author used the court scene to bring it to an end
The book is full of mystery as to what has happened to Sophie. Whilst the parents embark on their journey for revenge the author plants so many red herrings throughout the book, which I am a bit annoyed I didn’t pick up on!
The ending was not as expected and it is still sitting with me whether or not the truth was really unveiled.
The book is thought provoking and takes an ethical topic into the hands of the court. I really enjoyed this and looking forward to reading more by the author

"Thriller" is a genre that promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats, and this definitely delivers. From the very first page, the tension is palpable, and the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, making it difficult to put the book down.

The characters are well-developed and the author does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing as to who can be trusted and who is hiding something. The pacing is spot-on, with just the right amount of action and suspense to keep the reader engaged. The writing style is gripping and evocative, making it easy to visualise the scenes and feel the emotions of the characters.

The author's attention to detail and ability to create a believable world adds to the overall experience of the book. Overall, this is an excellent example of the thriller genre. It's a page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the very end and is sure to satisfy fans of the genre.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good suspenseful read.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

It's definitely tense, and twisty, but I found the unreliable narratives a bit heavy handed, which was a bit disappointing. It's gripping, but I didn't really engage with that characters as much as I'd expect- possibly because they were hiding/not revealing so much that I didn't get a strong sense of individuals.

I've really enjoyed reading books by Imran Mahmood before so I was really pleased to have the opportunity to read and review Finding Sophie. It doesn't disappoint: it's fast paced, full of tension and has plenty of unexpected moments. I was totally gripped right from the beginning scene, set in a courtroom, right until the end, as I tried to work out what had happened and how we had got there.

The chapters in Finding Sophie are fairly short and they are alternately written from the perspectives of Harry and Zara. I liked that this helped me to learn more about the characters, particularly as they both deal with Sophie's disappearance in different ways. It also increases the tension towards the end as we discover what happened.

Imran Mahmood is a criminal barrister and his knowledge of the legal system shines through not just this novel, but everything he writes. I love the way he is able to make what I'm told is quite a lengthy and laborious process appear interesting and gripping. I also found it interesting to learn more about legal processes.

Finding Sophie is absolutely full of twists and turns that kept me fascinated until the end. Although I did guess a few of the twists, there were many more that eluded me and these were brilliantly executed.

I am looking forward to reading much more of this author's work!

Sophie king has been missing for the past 17 years and her parents Harry and Zara are bereft. Both struggling to deal with the loss of their daughter in different ways but they have suspicions that their oddball neighbour could be involved. The police have long since given up as there’s been no new leads, can the parents take it upon themselves to find out what happened to Sophie?


I really enjoyed this one, I’m a huge fan of Imran’s and this book was no different for me. Typical Imran style, a slow burner but when it gets going it really does!! Wow!! Brilliant!







I really enjoyed this book!

A thoughtful novel about the consequences of a crime and the lengths people will go to to find the truth.

Mahmood writes beautifully while maintaining a compelling narrative full of nuance.

Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was very slow. Sophie is missing and most of the book deals with her parents grief. Alongside is a court case unfolding. I found the book jumped a lot and I did get confused at points. However all these comments aside, I wanted to keep reading it. My first book by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. 17 year old Sophie King has gone missing. After 6 weeks the police have no leads and her parents, Harry and Zara, are frantic. They have spoken to all the neighbours in the local area, but they become increasingly suspicious of one man who refuses to even answer the door. They become more and more convinced that this man knows something, but how far will they go to get the answers they're looking for? This is a real page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

The is the first Imran Mahmood book I have read and I really enjoyed it. Sophie King, aged 17, went out one night and never came home. Her parents Harry and Zara are beside themself with grief and worry. They are desperate to find Sophie and have her back home where she belongs.

Zara continues to make preparations for Sophie’s 18th birthday as it keeps her busy and stops her from sinking even further into herself. She has been prescribed Valium and she can’t eat - she is barely functioning.

Harry can’t even say Sophie’s name out loud. He turns their loft into an office space where he keeps track of everywhere he has looked and everyone he has spoken to in his search for Sophie.

They have spoken to everyone who lives on their street and the surrounding streets apart from the occupant of number 210 as nobody ever answers the door. This convinces Harry that the person in this house is involved in Sophie’s disappearance. Harry needs to get into the house or at least speak to the person who lives there.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Harry and Zara are both teachers and living a normal life with their 17 year old daughter Sophie until she goes missing. Over the next few weeks they canvas everyone in the neighbourhood to see if anyone knows anything. Frustrated by the police response, the pair focus on one man who has not spoken to them. Convinced he knows something the parents decide that they need to take things into their own hands to get answers.
This book has had amazing reviews and the further I read, the further I was finding a disconnect between my enjoyment and that of other readers. I found this book way too intense and unbelievable, particularly with regards to the ending.

Imran Mahmood is a storyteller unlike any other. Finding Sophie is gripping, addictive and guaranteed to be among the best of 2024.

Finding Sophie is a storyline we all dread- a missing child. Told from the dual perspectives of her parents, Zara and Harry we are taken on a rollercoaster of a journey. I particularly loved the dual perspective as it meant that we were able to really get to know the characters deeper, understanding their thoughts and emotions.

Mahmood is able to make you, as a reader feel the grief and raw emotion of the characters. This for me is the sign of a highly talented author. I was completely caught up in the events of this one. My heart was with Zara and Harry, I wanted those around them to do more to find Sophie.

Once I delved between the covers of this one, I very quickly became unwilling to put this down and devoured this in just 24hours. I was on edge throughout and unable to predict where this would go.

Mahmood is brilliant. I was transported by Finding Sophie. I felt as though I was watching this play out ahead of me. This book is definitely suspenseful. I adored every moment of this book and found myself trying to make (unsuccessful) predictions.

The characters in this are brilliant. I was pulled in and on the journey with them. My heart was with them and I was fully invested in them Finding Sophie.

This is quite possibly my favourite book by Mahmood to date. It’s engaging and perfectly paced till the end. I love how unpredictable this is and absolutely cannot wait to read more by Mahmood.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book. This is brilliant from beginning to end and highly addictive. This is a definite for the TBR. Missing this, means missing out on a real gem.

I was gripped from the very first page. The story opens with a court case, but we don't yet know who is in the dock or what they have been accused of.

The story is told by each parent in turn, interspersed with scenes from the courtroom. The time difference between the court and the search for Sophie steadily builds the tension, as the reader knows that something conclusive has happened, but not exactly what. As Harry and Zara continue their endless quest into Sophie's disappearance, they slowly find out details about what she has been up to that comes as a huge shock and learn more about their part in it.

This is a tale of parental love and devotion and the ends that Harry and Zara will go to to find their beloved 17 year old daughter Sophie. Its also about Zara and Harry learning to adapt their preconceptions as they find out that their beloved child isn't necessarily the person that they thought she was & slowly realising that their actions might be partly to blame for her decisions.

The courtroom scenes were the highlight for me. They are compelling reading and it is clear that this is where the author’s expertise comes in; the way that a court case can succeed or fail on a single word or detail, and the expertise of the lawyers on both sides in shaping the case and convincing the jury was fascinating.

3.5* Finding Sophie - Imran Mahmood is an immersive look into the confusion and grief of Harry and Zara, parents whose teenage daughter is missing with no clues as to where she might be.

Sophie is missing. Harry and Zara are unravelling. They have no idea where their daughter is and the Police have no warms lead to chase. Harry has spoke to everyone in a half mile radius, save for the reclusive occupant of number 210, who won’t come to the door. The more Harry pounds on the gate, the more obsessed he becomes that there must be a connection with the disappearance.

Told over 3 POV (Harry, Zara and someone who is in the dock for a crime), the disappearance and the ramifications slowly unravel to reveal the story, as it happened.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was hugely enjoyable. However I never really connected with any of the main characters, even when their grief was very raw. The first two thirds were engaging but slow but then the pace flipped up 3 gears and there was a bit of a jarring between the two. The conclusion is a page turner, but feels like a very different book. There were also some plot devices which I struggled to reconcile (notably the disposal of the pistol).

Overall an enjoyable and satisfying read, with the last 3rd being really rip roaring.

Thanks to Netgalley and and Raven for an ARC.

One of Imran Mahmood's greatest skills as a writer is that he effortlessly creates that slow build up by drip, drip, dripping twists, turns, red herrings, and misdirections throughout the narrative. Using the court scenes as an anchor to the premise of the ongoing police and private investigation is inspired as it leaves the reader off balance from the start as we have no idea who is in the dock or precisely what their alleged crime is.
Suspenseful with heart breaking representations of two parents struggling independently to come to terms to the disappearance of their daughter and their guilt at some of their own responses and actions.
A very human story that is very thought provoking and emotional

This is the second novel I’ve read by the author and it did not disappoint.
When Harry and Zara’s 17 year old daughter Sophie goes missing neither the police investigation or Harry and Zara’s attempts to find her provide any clues to her whereabouts. When Harry begins to suspect a neighbour the police believe there is only circumstantial evidence.
Finding Sophie is told from the points of view of Harry and Zara as they cope with loss and uncertainty and their differing responses to their daughter’s disappearance. A third strand of the narrative is set in a court room where an unnamed suspect is on trial.
This is a beautifully written exploration of every parent’s nightmare and how we respond differently to such a trauma. It’s a slow burn, emotional and very cleverly plotted thriller that completely drew me in. A satisfying read with an ending I did not anticipate.
Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I have read and enjoyed all of the books I have read by this author so was looking forward to reading this new one. I know I can expect something a little different, with regard to the storyline and the way the characters make me feel.
It is a dual narrative novel with Harry and Zara both describing their feelings after their daughter Sophie has disappeared. They are both understandably devastated, feeling guilty over their treatment of her in the days leading up to her disappearance and both suspicious of the same neighbour who refused to answer their questions or even open his door to them. They felt they have little support from the police officer who was investigating their daughter’s disappearance so decided to deal with their situation themselves. They coped, or otherwise in completely different ways, unable to help each other, each becoming more insular. All believable.
Another thread in this novel takes place a year later during a murder trial. It is unclear initially how is on trial, you are just aware that it is either Harry or Zara. What is clear is the devotion they feel to each other and the lengths they are prepared to go to to protect what they have left.
Sometimes I can work out which way a storyline is going but Imran Mahmood is an author who defeats me every time. For most of the novel I was convinced I knew what happened to Sophie and who had committed the murder but I was completely wrong.
The parts of the novel that concerned the trial is where he shows his experience as a criminal lawyer but it was the other side to the novel that had me gripped. Showing how a close knit family, despite the struggle with teenage angst were destroyed by not having an answer.
A superb novel.

I’m not biased BUT Imran Mahmood is one of my favourite people in the literary world. He’s an absolute GENTLEMAN and the ideal pizza partner, so when I saw he had a new book out in March, I begged, pleaded and bribed his publishers to let me organise his blogtour and share the #ImranIdolization.

If you haven’t read any of Imran’s books before or watched the brilliant BBC adaptation of his first book, then you are in for a literary treat.

Each book is a standalone crime thriller with a large dollop of legal expertise thrown in and incredible well developed characters, slick plots and thought-provoking themes and Finding Sophie is no exception.

17 year old Sophie King is missing. Harry and Zara King are distraught and living every parent’s worst nightmare. Sophie is their only child, their lives revolve around their daughter and six weeks later the police still have no clues, she has disappeared off the face of the earth, but the King’s won’t give up and need answers at whatever cost.

Having spent weeks posting Missing Persons leaflets through every door, canvassing the entire neighbourhood, only one house remains silent. Number 210. The occupant refuses to open the door and this only confirms Harry and Zara’s suspicions that he knows what happened to Sophie.

The book is told through both Zara and Harry’s points of view and the reader follows their individual feelings of grief and helplessness together with intense guilt as slowly we find out what happened in the lead up to Sophie’s disappearance.

Whilst this is every parent’s nightmare, the author delivers two very opposing reactions to this tragic situation. Harry and Zara’s coping mechanisms are almost polar opposites yet both are totally relatable and understandable.

Finding Sophie is a slow burner of a story which skilfully takes the reader on an emotional journey and forces us to ask ourselves what would we do in these circumstances?

⭐⭐⭐⭐

An emotionally powerful, beautifully written and technically clever novel, from an author who knows the theatre of the courtroom and the heart of a parent. As the title suggests, the aim of the story is the hunt for a couple's missing teenage daughter as they feel frustrated by the lack of progress by the police.

Ultimately they take things into their own hands. They are suspicious of a local man who appears odd and never opens his front door, and are convinced that he has something to do with their daughter's disappearance somehow. The distraught parents attempts to access him become more desperate. This isn't going to end well.

The story opens with a scene at the Old Bailey, so we know that someone ends up in the court that deals with the most serious of crimes. The other chapters alternate between the mother and the father, showing how they attempt to cope with the situation, their despair, their nightmarish state of mind.

​However, the real thriller aspect appears towards the end when the location is solely the Old Bailey. The intricacies of the legal process, the smart barristers and the cultivated plotting by the protagonists, lead to an exciting and unpredictable ending. Complex and human, this is a very talented author whose work is exemplary. Recommended.

I was swept up by Imran Mahmood’s writing and could absolutely relate to the two devasted parents, Zara and Harry King, whose teenage daughter, Sophie, has gone missing. The story is cleverly told from both their points of view, as well as in narrative chapters strategically positioned to make the reader wonder what is happening. For example, the first (as well as other, later chapters) takes place in a courtroom in the Old Bailey but it is not until much later that we find out who exactly is on trial, and for what. The story is full of subtle misdirection. Zara and Harry grow increasingly apart and inexorably become dysfunctional themselves. The drama builds slowly and relentlessly. This is a cleverly plotted, beautifully readable book. Highly recommended.